


A True Soldier

by rushinggold



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Danger, Duelling, Fluff, Freckles, Fuck Buddies to Lovers, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Smut, Rivalry, Sexual Tension, Sorgren, blue eyed boys, how do you know what's good for me?, that's my opinion!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-11-18 03:34:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18112439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rushinggold/pseuds/rushinggold
Summary: "Don't worry I'll go easy on you."All Soren ever wanted was his father's respect and approval. However, at times, it seemed as if Lord Viren saw him only as a dummy with muscles for brains.A chance to earn the pride of his father is presented to him in the form of a duel during King Harrow's birthday celebration.The contenders are Soren and General Amaya's choice opponent: Commander Gren.The crown guard is certain he can easily beat the translator, but the results of the duel leave Soren flustered and uneasy. There is just something about that Commander Gren.





	1. the duel

**Author's Note:**

> okay so Gren and Soren are my boys and I just had to write a fic about them! I’m hoping to write lots of of chapters for them so buckle in kiddos it’s gonna be a hot ride!
> 
> This is suppose to take place a couple months before S1. I’m hoping to eventually get into the actual canon timeline too which will make for some good angst. 
> 
> Enjoy and leave comments down below <3

Soren looked at himself in the mirror a frown forming on his face. Instead of wearing his usual crown guard uniform, he had on special ceremony armor for the king's birthday celebration. It was bulky and very heavy, making it extremely difficult for Soren to move around in.

"Stop worrying about your looks Sor-bear," Claudia said while sitting down on a desk painting her nails a deep purple color. "Anyways, I think you look super fancy!"

Soren groaned. "I don't care about looking fancy! I can barely move!"

"Beauty is pain."

"Why don't you have to change?"

Claudia stood up from her seat and gave him a quick twirl showing off her mage robes. "Because my robes are super cute. Why would I wear anything else?"

Soren nodded in agreement. "You're right you look really good."

"Thanks!"

Soren looked back at his mirror, his freshly cleaned armor shining back at him brightly. "And don't you think it looks too clean? I mean, I look like a glow toad, I almost blinded myself!"

Claudia rolled her eyes as the door to Soren's room opened, their father, Lord Viren, walking in to check on his children.

"I trust you both are ready for this evening?"

"Yes! I look great, right, Dad?" Claudia exclaimed giving her dad the same twirl she gave Soren.

"Of course, Claudia, you look beautiful as always," Viren responded folding his hands on top of his staff. "But that's not what I'm asking."

"Oh?"

"I just want to make sure you both don't do anything...embarrassing."

"When have we ever done anything embarrassing?" Soren asked tripping over himself in his armor and landing with a loud clanking noise.

Viren sighed. "Just do your best."

Claudia ran over to her brother helping him up from off the ground.

"Don't worry, Dad. We won't let you down," Claudia promised giving him a salute.

"Well, the festivities will commence soon so make sure you are all in the ballroom soon."

And with that, Viren left the room shutting the door with a loud thud.

"Ugh. I wish I could just go and train tonight. I don't want to let dad down." Soren said, his head dropping.

Claudia squeezed her brother's hand affectionately. "Everything will be fine. Don't worry."

Soren wanted to believe her, but he didn't know if he could. Sometimes he thought his dad only looked at him like a big dummy with muscles for brains. He hoped he could be mature and diplomatic enough for his dad today in front of the Katolis higher-ups.

Lifting his right arm up, he motioned for his sister to take it. Claudia smiled, wrapping her hand around his arm.

Soren took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let it out. "Okay. Let's do this."

The ballroom was a wide and tall open room lined with windows and stone ceilings. Strewn amongst the pillars were red and gold ribbons for the birthday celebration and long tables adorned with white cloth were placed off to the side. Platters of tasty different foods were placed on top of the tables and Soren's eyes locked onto the jelly tarts instantly. He'd definitely find a way to walk over there at some point.

"Claudia!"

Soren and Claudia looked over to see Callum walking towards them.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Soren whined as the young prince's attention was focused solely on his sister.

Callum rolled his eyes in response. "So, Claudia how was your day?"

Claudia clasped her hands together excitedly. "Well, Dad was trying to teach me a new spell using a giant scorpion stinger. I messed up and accidentally stung myself! Can you believe it? I was paralyzed for 30 minutes!"

Callum let out an obnoxiously loud laugh. "That's hilarious, Claudia! Are your muscles tight? Do you need me to massage you -- er --- sorry, I mean, you should get a massage! I can make an appoint for you! Or you could do it yourself -- if you want. You're a strong, independent woman!"

Soren bent down to the older prince's level. "You should stop talking."

"Right," Callum responded embarrassment washing over his face. "I guess I'll go and talk to King Harrow about some important, uh, royal stuff."

And with that Callum scuttled himself away from the awkward predicament he got himself in.

Soren and Claudia giggled amongst themselves as Ezran, the youngest prince, came over to say hello. A wide smile was on his face and his hair was big and fluffy as per the usual.

"Hi, Ezran!" Claudia greeted. "You look very dashing today."

Ezran puffed out his chest and placed his tiny hands on his waist. "Thank you for noticing, Claudia."

The youngest prince's eyes wandered over Soren's attire. "Soren, uh, you look bigger today."

Soren's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. "Does this new armor make me look fat? Claudia, why didn't you say anything!"

"Oh, uh, you don't look fat, Soren," Claudia tried. "You just look extra muscular in your fancy armor."

Ezran nodded his head in fake agreement giving Soren an awkward smile. "Well, anywho, I'm off to find the jelly tarts."

"Ezran, I swear to God, if you eat all of them before I get to try one I'm going to --"

"Soren."

Soren froze at the low, yet powerful voice of his father. Slowly, he turned around to face him.

Standing next to Viren was General Amaya who was looking absolutely amazing. She was wearing a long, silky blue dress with bell sleeves and gold threading. The dress was beautiful, yet it signified power and strength.

Soren bowed instantly at the sight of her.

[You don't have to bow; I'm not royalty. However, I don't mind it.]

Blushing at his error, Soren looked up to search for who was interpreting her words. A man that he had not noticed before stood on General Amaya's left side. He had orange tousled hair and thick, dark eyebrows. Blue eyes similar to his own stared back at him, but they were brighter and far more piercing. Also, Soren noticed the freckles that dotted around the tops of his cheeks and bridge of his nose.

Viren cleared his throat. "Soren, this is General Amaya. General, this is my son, Soren."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, General." Soren began. "I'm, uh, a huge fan of your work on the Breach. Uh, keep it up."

Closing his eyes, Viren pinched the bridge of his nose shaking his head slightly.

[Thank you. I hear you're doing a fine job keeping the castle safe as a guard.]

"I do my best."

Viren gestured to the freckled man next to her. "And this is Commander Gren."

Pfft, Commander? Soren thought to himself. He's just the General's translator who follows her around like a puppy. He looks more like a cabbage patch kid than a soldier.

"Nice to meet you, Soren."

Gren reached his hand out for a handshake. Soren took a few moments to lift his hand because of his cursed new armor. After a few clangings, he was able to grab the other man's hand for a quick shake. His hands were hard and calloused and his grip was firmer than what Soren expected. He let his hand linger a bit longer than planned. He told himself it was out of respect of the translator's solid handshake.

"So, Soren, were you aware that the famous acrobats of Del Bar were supposed to be the entertainment for the night?" Viren asked his son while slowly spinning his staff in his hands.

Soren nodded. "Yes! I'm actually really excited!"

"Well, unfortunately, they had to cancel due to some illnesses in the group."

"Bummer."

[So, Viren and I were discussing some creative solutions to the entertainment problem.] Amaya smiled clearly pleased with what they came up with.

"What did you guys decide to do?" Soren asked.

[A duel.]

"Between who?"

"Between you, of course, as you are the most talented swordsman in the crown guard," Viren answered. "And Amaya's chosen contender: Commander Gren."

Soren grinned to himself. A chance to show off his swordmanship to an actual general and make his father proud was too good to pass up. Plus, it was against a translator! This was going to be too easy.

"I'll do it," Soren agreed. "But, can I please change first?"

\--

After bending down to touch his toes and doing a few, quick jumping jacks, Soren was stretched out and warmed up for the impending match. He was now in his usual crown guard armor so his range of motion was a whole lot better.

The duel was taking place in the castle courtyard, his usual training grounds. Everyone from the party was gathered around in a circle placing bets on who would win. Soren heard his name thrown around a few times so he knew most people were rooting for him. To his right stood Claudia and the two princes. They all gave him a thumbs up in encouragement.

"That's my brother!" Claudia cheered out excitedly.

Viren walked over to his son handing him his sword. "I have no doubt that you'll win this duel, but, just in case, I wanted to remind you that you and your sister promised not to embarrass me this evening. So don't lose, Soren."

"I got this, dad. Don't worry," Soren reassured his father.

As Viren walked away, Soren gripped his sword confidently watching as Gren stepped out in front of him wearing some spare crown guard armor. The redhead's eyes darted back and forth at the massive crowd around him.

"A little stage fright?" Soren called out teasingly. He was very confident he would beat the translator so he didn't mind showing off a little.

Gren remained silent his lips pressing down into a thin line.

"Don't worry I'll go easy on you," Soren mocked.

The other man remained silent.

"Jesus, are you nothing without your general?"

That got some Oos from the crowd, but still nothing from his opponent.

Gren's stoicness unnerved Soren and it made him fluster a bit. Shaking his head, Soren remembered that this was going to be an easy fight. He would just show off his skills, get praise from the crowd and hopefully even get a smile from his dad. Eazy Peazy.

A few moments of anticipation later, King Harrow stepped out in between Soren and Gren. He was dressed in magnificent red robes, an intricate looking gold necklace hanging down his neck.

"Thank you all for coming today," His kingly voice echoed throughout the courtyard. "I am reminded once again of the loyal friends and family I have in the great kingdom of Katolis. I'm truly honored to lead such amazing and hardworking people."

King Harrow paused for a few moments and then gestured to Soren and Gren. "Tonight these two soldiers will go head to head with some friendly competition -- a duel in which one swordsman will prove his skill and strength are better than the other's. Please join me in witnessing such a spectacle."

And with that, Harrow backed away leaving the two men to begin their match.

Wasting no time at all, Soren made the first move. He flipped his sword in his hand and tossed it over to his other showing off a few frivolous sword tricks. Smirking and raising one of his eyebrows, Gren stood where he was patiently waiting for the guard to actually make a move. 

Letting out an obnoxious warrior cry, Soren began charging towards Gren an arrogant smile flashing on his face. Gren looked bored as he sidestepped the guard, Soren running right past him.

A few murmurs were heard throughout the crowd while Soren quickly turned around to redeem himself. Raising both arms into the air Soren brought his sword down for a critical blow, but Gren quickly swung his sword sideways to deflect the swing. The deflection was so solid that Soren actually bounced backwards. He raised his eyebrows in surprise while the sword in his hands shook from the contact.

This time Gren came in for the kill. With expert footwork, Gren swung toward Soren's waist slicing his blade through the air with deadly speed. Soren was just fast enough to parry it away, but his balance was off so he landed on his knees awkwardly.

Coming in for a hit to the chest, Gren pointed his sword forward nearly missing the other's breastplate as Soren brought his sword forward in defense.

Sweat now dripped down Soren's face while his breaths came out quick and labored. He was not expecting such a hard fight. Looking at Gren's face, Soren saw not one ounce of fatigue or tiredness.

Their blades were now locked onto each other, Soren struggling to push up with his blade while Gren's sword slowly moved closer to his opponent's chest.

At this point, Soren was now laying on his back with Gren kneeling over him, a satisfied look on his face. Gren's face lowered to Soren's own, their noses inches apart, so close that if Soren wanted to he could count each individual freckle on the other man's face. Gren's breath was hot on Soren's skin and Soren became uneasy about their closeness. He felt his own arms shaking and nearly lost his hold on his sword.

"You forget young guard," Gren ground out lowly through gritted teeth so only Soren was the recipient of his words. "That I am a Commander of the Breach. I have fought against sunfire elves while you sit here in this castle never actually experiencing a real fight."

Soren gulped, eyes growing wide at this realization. How could he have not noticed Gren's strength? Now face to face with the other man, Soren could see Gren's wide, muscular arms along with a broad chest and long, powerful legs. Soren never had a chance at beating this man -- this Commander -- yet he walked around the courtyard with a stupid cocky smile, so sure he would win this fight. Oh, how he was wrong.

Looking over to his right, he found Claudia's sad face still trying to smile at him in encouragement. Then he saw his father's face, disappointment hardened into his expression.

Soren closed his eyes in defeat. "I--I yield."

Silence filled the courtyard for one painful moment.

"He yields!" Someone called out from the crowd finally.

"Commander Gren wins the duel!" Another person yelled.

The crowd ran over to the Commander lifting him up in the air. Gren grimaced at being thrown into the air but tried his best to go along with it to indulge the crowd.

Defeated and exhausted, Soren walked over to his sister and the princes, his sword dragging on the ground behind him.

"You'll get him next time for sure!" Claudia ran to her brother to give him a big hug.

Soren sighed. "Maybe."

"If it makes you feel any better," Ezran poked his head out from behind Claudia. "I saved you some jelly tarts."

The youngest prince opened up a bag filled with freshly baked tarts. The sweet, fruity smell instantly wafted into Soren's nose.

"Thanks, Ez," Soren took the bag from him and quickly inhaled two triangles almost as if he could erase the feeling of defeat with sweets.

Licking his fingers of the jelly residue, he noticed Callum off to the side looking rather happy for some reason.

A group of people were around the prince handing him bags of coins. Callum took each bag holding them up in triumph.

"Wait," Soren began as he realized what was going on. "Did you bet against me, Callum?"

Callum shrugged. "He's a Commander, Soren. He was obviously the safer bet."

Soren slapped his hand against his forehead. "I'm such an idiot!"

"No you're not," Claudia murmured placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes I am! I thought I could beat him -- I — I thought I could make dad proud."

"He is proud of you, Soren! You're the best guard at the castle! Everyone knows it!"

"That doesn't mean anything!"

"Sor—"

Before she could finish what she had to say, Soren stormed off to the castle leaving a trail of jelly tart crumbs in his wake.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Soren whispered to himself as he walked along the halls of the castle towards his room.

Sure, he was upset that he lost against Gren; Soren was a naturally competitive person and it really hurt his ego when he lost at something. But what really got to Soren was the fact that he couldn't do anything right in front of his dad. He wanted his father's respect and pride, but lately it had seemed like something he would never achieve.

"I'm such a doof!" He shouted, his words bouncing off the stone walls of the long castle hall.

"A what?" He heard someone chuckle behind him.

Soren jumped a little where he stood, not expecting anyone to hear him. He slowly turned around to find Commander Gren behind him, an amused look on his face.

"A, uh, doof," Soren responded surprised to see Gren next to him. Shouldn't he be off celebrating his win?

Gren raised an eyebrow while crossing his arms over his chest. "You're not a doof, Soren."

Soren grabbed his right arm a little embarrassed to be talking with Gren. He had suffered a humiliating defeat just a few minutes ago. He just wanted to go to his room and sulk the rest of the night, not be face to face with the very person who beat him.

"I was actually very impressed with you tonight," Gren stated taking a step closer to Soren.

Soren's mouth opened in surprise. "You were?"

"Yes, I could tell you're very passionate about sword fighting."

"My fighting isn't nearly to the level you're at."

"True, but you have potential. You just need tougher challenges to really...push you to where you want to be."

Soren noticed the other man take another step closer. His gaze flashed over the freckles that covered Gren's face — they fell in the most perfect of places. He remembered during the fight how close their faces were to each other and how clearly he could see each individual dot.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Gren asked a sly smile forming on his lips.

"Doing what?"

"You take a step backward every time I get closer to you."

Soren's eyes widened unaware of his body's movements. Looking behind him, he found that Gren was right. He was further down the hall than he had been before.

"Are you scared of me, crown guard?" Gren's voice dipped lower almost whispering the words towards Soren.

"No, I - I," Soren shook his head finding himself getting flustered by the Commander's words.

He looked down at his feet unsure of what to say. He wasn't scared of Gren. In fact, he was in awe of him. Gren was strong, intelligent and brave and Soren really admired that. He couldn't think of anyone greater than Gren in that moment.

The other man was now inches away from Soren, their boots nearly touching. Flashes of their fight raced through his mind. He almost went mad at their close proximity back then. He felt that same feeling now.

Unnerved, Soren tried to break this foreign trance he was in.

"I like your freckles!" Soren blurted out, quickly covering his mouth with his hand when he actually processed what he just said.

Gren's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but his eyes softened into delight.

"Oh?" Gren leaned his head forward silently asking Soren to elaborate.

Frozen in shock by what he had just admitted, Soren stood their stupid, his hand still covering his mouth.

The red head smirked clearly pleased with the effect he was having on Soren. Gren lightly grabbed onto Soren's wrist slowly removing the other's hand from his mouth. 

Soren chewed on his bottom lip nervously as Gren's touch lingered. Bringing Soren's hand down, Gren lightly intertwined their fingers. It wasn't quite a handhold, but even the slight contact heated up Soren's fingertips traveling up to his now dark red cheeks.

"You blushed like that during the match." Gren murmured. 

"I -I - I did?" Soren let out a shaky breath.

The other man hummed, the noise vibrating in Soren's ears. "Remember? When I had you on the floor? You couldn't stand how close I was to you."

Soren gulped. It was as if the Commander could read his thoughts.

"Is that how you're feeling right now?" Gren coaxed, touching the tip of his nose against Soren's. 

This was too much. Soren felt like he was going to explode.

Shooting his hands forward, Soren pushed away Gren until they were at a more bearable distance.

"Sorry," Soren said while slowly gaining his bearing. "I really need to go to bed. I'm, uh, tired."

Gren looked visibly shook. Soren's movements had been quick and jarring. However, his smirk never quite left his face.

"Well, I'm staying in one of the guest rooms tonight," Gren ran a hand through his orange tousled hair. "Don't be afraid to stop by at any time to...talk about sword fighting."

The hidden invitation wasn't lost on Soren. 

Giving an awkward goodbye wave, Soren walked as fast he could down the hall and away from what certainly was trouble.


	2. the guest room

"Why can't I just fall asleep?" Soren groaned to himself sliding his hands down his face.

He had been tossing and turning in his bed for the past hour, never quite finding a comfortable position. It was almost like there was an itch he needed to scratch, but he had no idea where it was or what to do about it.

In all honesty, Soren just couldn't get himself to calm down. His mind was racing and his nerves stood on end. He knew exactly what -- or rather who -- was causing all this and it irritated him to no end. Punching the pillow next to him, he tried to force all thoughts of freckled cheeks and piercing blue eyes out of his mind. But the more he willed himself to forget those things, the more he found himself wanting to see them just one more time.

I had you on the floor.

"Fuck it." Soren violently ripped his covers off his body and jumped out of bed.

Determination washed over him as he left his room walking quickly down the castle halls. The only light guiding him was from the moon outside. It casted a blue hue over his surroundings, the shadow's in the castle becoming eerie and mysterious.

Soren's stomach began to knot as he got closer to his destination. He never once slowed his pace knowing that the moment he actually processed what he was doing he would turn around and go straight back to bed. And he absolutely didn't want that.

Finally, he reached the door to the guest room. Soren had no idea if it was desire, irritation or just plain curiosity that lead him to this door, but he knew that once he opened it there would be no going back.

His fingers began to shake, but he realized that it was from anticipation rather than anxiety. Reaching for the door, he let his hand glide down the cool, metal handle before finally pushing it open.

Soren sucked in a breath when his gaze ventured into the room.

The room was dark, but it was slightly lit by the glow of a few candles that were scattered throughout the space. Similar to Soren's own bedroom, the bed, mirror, and desk were all placed in the exact same location. The familiarity calmed his nerves in a way.

Sitting on the side of the bed was Gren, a white cloth in his hand cleaning the hilt of his sword. He wore blue linen pants that fell dangerously low on his waist. This was considering that the upper half of his body was completely bare.

Soren was pleased to see that the freckles weren't just a phenomenon that graced the other man's face, but also his shoulders, arms, and chest. From the duel, Soren remembered noticing how strong the Commander was, but now with no clothing covering him, Soren could see every chiseled detail of Gren's torso and arms. Needless to say, he was thoroughly impressed.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show," Gren said setting his sword off to the side, a cocky half grin on his face.

That smile unhinged Soren. It was almost always Soren who had all the confidence in a room, but right now it was as if the roles had been reversed. He felt weak and exposed like he had just entered someone else's turf. 

Soren clasped his hands together tapping his foot on the ground anxiously. "Well, I'm here."

Gren chuckled standing up from his bed and walking over towards Soren. The guard took a step backward instinctively.

"There you go again," Gren teased. "You don't have to be nervous."

"I-I-I'm not." Soren stuttered.

The other man raised an eyebrow clearly unconvinced. "Tell me, crown guard. Why'd you come to my room?"

Was he really going to make Soren spell it out for him?

Soren let out a breath. "To talk about sword fighting?"

"Really? Is that all?"

Flustered, the blonde boy's eyes darted around unsure of where to look. Looking directly into Gren's eyes was way too much for him. Sensing Soren's uneasiness, Gren softened his expression. 

"Why don't you just close your eyes?" Gren suggested, a sparkle flashing in his blue irises. "It might help."

"Why--"

"Just do it, doof." 

Soren rolled his eyes. "Okay!"

Closing his eyes, Soren now was completely in the dark, solely relying on his hearing and touch to sense what was going on. He knew that Gren was directly in front of him, but he didn't like that he couldn't see exactly where he was. It took everything in him not to peak.

The room was silent for so long that Soren almost thought that Gren had walked away. Then, all of a sudden, Soren felt someone blow cool air onto his neck. Soren instantly had to fight against the shiver that crept up on him. A hot pair of lips quickly replaced the cold spot on the side of his neck, a kiss sealing the action. Squirming at the contrasting temperatures, Soren took a half step backward.

Strong hands grabbed his waist preventing him from moving farther away.

"Relax," Gren mumbled in his ear.

Soren could feel his cheeks heat up, Gren now flush up against Soren. 

How could he relax when the very person that made him crazy was right up against him! Once again, Soren felt that explosive energy bubbling up inside him.

Lips brushed over the tip of his nose, traveling lower to Soren's mouth. Soren actually found himself leaning forward desperately searching for contact. Gren obliged taking the other's mouth with his own. 

The kiss was slow at first. Gren was testing how far Soren was willing to go. Soren began opening up his mouth more after a few seconds giving Gren permission to deepen the kiss. 

Gren's lips and velvety tongue were absolutely decadent to Soren. Gren tightened his grip on Soren's waist as Soren let out an unruly moan.

Soren realized that his own hands were laying uselessly on his sides. Realizing this, he wrapped his arms around Gren's back, pulling the other man closer to him. He squeezed him tightly not allowing any space whatsoever between them. 

The two soldiers mindlessly walked themselves over to the plush bed in the center of the room. Taking initiative, Soren pushed Gren off of him, the redhead falling onto the bed. 

Soren finally opened his eyes, greedily taking in the man displayed before him. Gren's face was now completely red, his lips swollen and wet. His bare chest moved up and down quickly as he breathed in the air that he couldn't during their kiss.

"Jesus Christ," Soren let out breathlessly. "I think I really like you."

"I like you too, Soren," Gren replied biting his lower lip. "Now get your ass over here."

He didn't have to tell Soren twice. The younger man quickly pulled his shirt off exposing the upper half his body. He smirked when he noticed Gren staring at him practically drooling right on the spot.

"Like what you see?" Soren asked clearly feeling himself. 

"Yes," Gren breathed doing his best to curb his eagerness.

Wasting no more time, Soren crawled on top of him placing his elbows on both sides of the other man's face. Gren's hands traveled up Soren's chest hungrily exploring every inch of his body. The commander's hands soon found their place in Soren's hair while the guard dipped his head down to find his spot on Gren's lips once again. 

"Soren," Gren moaned in between kisses. 

Soren rolled his hips forward sending Gren's head backward in an exasperated sigh. Moving his mouth lower, Soren began to suck on Gren's neck occasionally flicking out his tongue for a taste. 

His kisses began to trail down Gren's chest venturing lower and lower until, eventually, he reached the other man's waistband.

Gren sat up a worried look on his face. "Soren, you don't have to."

Soren up to this point hadn't seen Gren being the nervous one. He liked how now he was the one inspiring jittery feelings in the other.

Soren looked straight into Gren's piercing blue eyes, a wicked grin on his face. "I want to."

And with that, Soren crossed into bolder territory sending Gren into absolute bliss.

\--

Soren lazily rolled over on his side as his eyelids fluttered open. The sun from the window was warm on his face a welcoming sensation to wake up to. Sitting up, Soren rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched out his arms.

His eyes widened when he realized that he wasn't in his room, all of the events from the previous night rushing back. 

So it wasn't a dream, Soren thought to himself. 

Looking towards his right, he saw Gren fast asleep. Gren's auburn eyelashes were so long that they brushed the tops of his cheeks hiding a few precious freckles. Soren thought the commander looked younger and far cuter while he was sleeping. His hair pointed in all directions and the rise and fall of his chest were peaceful and steady. 

Soren turned around and blushed when he realized that the other man was also completely naked. He was relieved to find out that his own lower half remained covered with pajamas. 

He didn't want to get out of the warm bed, but he knew that he had to start his day. His discipline turned against him as he decided it was time to leave the sleeping redhead next to him.

Careful not to wake up the commander, Soren quietly got out of bed and tiptoed across the room to the door. Before leaving, he stole one last look at Gren. A stupid smile formed on his lips, eternally grateful for such a whirlwind of a night.

Soren washed his face in his room. Every time he looked in the mirror, he noticed that he never actually stopped smiling. A satisfied grin remained plastered on his face, his cheeks beginning to ache. He also noticed that his skin looked particularly shiny this morning, dare he say glowing. The only blemish to his complexion was a small purple spot on the side of his neck. Soren lightly grazed the spot with his fingertips wondering if Gren would wake up to any similar markings. It was a thought that turned his body hot. 

A knock on the door interrupted his morning routine and he called out to whoever it was to come in. A low ranking crown guard opened the door clearing his throat.

"Lord Viren requests your presence," the soldier announced. 

Soren sighed, his mood instantly deflating. "Yeah, yeah."

He waved his hand in the air signifying to the other guard that he may exit. 

Soren ran a hand down his face. He could imagine just the kind of chastising he would receive from his father after his defeat last night. What he would give to just crawl back into Gren's bed and just enjoy the feeling of the Commander next to him. 

Entering his father's chamber, Soren found him, as usual, staring at that mysterious mirror. Sometimes Soren thought that his dad was borderline obsessive about that thing.

Lord Viren turned around when he heard his son approaching. "Thank you for coming."

"No problemo," Soren replied. "So what's up?"

"I was giving last night's duel a thought."

Soren sighed. He knew that this is why he was summoned. 

"Though I was not pleased with the outcome," Viren twirled his staff lazily in his hand. "It did open up my eyes about some things."

"What things?"

Viren walked over to the window opening up the curtains to let some morning light in. He stared out at the window taking in a deep breath.

"That I have done you a disservice," He finally answered. 

Soren gaped at him completely blindsided by his father's words. "What do you mean?"

"I've kept you in this castle your entire life, Soren. You train well here, but nothing has ever challenged you. You've never experienced a real battle."

Soren looked down at his hands, twidling his thumbs. His father's words echoed the sentiments of Commander Gren the night before. The harsh reality of his abilities was like a rock in his stomach.

"In order for you to become a true soldier, I now realize what needs to be done."

"Which is?" Soren was confused about where he was going with this.

"I'm sending you to the Breach. Some time on the front lines will do you good."

Soren sat down on a nearby chair trying to process what his father was saying. The more he thought about it the more he realized how necessary it was that he go. 

He did want his fighting skills to be amped up, maybe this would be the best way to do it. Then maybe he'd become a strong enough son to earn his father's pride. However, he had heard of a few horror stories of the tragedies that have happened at the Breach. Was he really ready to face all that?

"I'll go." Soren agreed. "I'll come back better than ever before. I promise, dad."

"I hope you're right. I'll make arrangements with General Amaya at breakfast."

Soren nodded following his father out the door. 

\--

About a half an hour later, breakfast began. The breakfast table was long and wide, able to accompany a large number of guests. Many Katolis higher-ups had spent the night at the castle and were now sitting at the breakfast table. They made chit chat with King Harrow who was seated at the head of the table, Lord Viren to his right supporting his words. 

Sitting across from Soren was Claudia and the two princes. Ezran was clearly still sleepy. His eyes were droopy and he almost dropped Bait from almost going unconscious. The glow toad groaned in protest to get the younger prince to wake up a little more. Yawning, Ezran did his best to rub the sleep crusties from his eyes. To his right, Callum was horfing down eggs and bacon scribbling in his sketchbook intensely, completely unaware of his surroundings. 

Claudia waved to her brother in greeting, spreading a giant lump of butter on a small piece of toast.

"Jesus, Claudia," Soren furrowed his eyebrows at her. "I can feel my arteries clogging up just from looking at that."

"Don't act like you don't like your salty fats," Claudia frowned pointing a butter knife at him accusingly.

Soren whipped his hands out in front of him in defense. "Alright, Alright. Down, Claudia."

She smirked at her brother dropping her weapon and taking a big bite of her toast, which was mostly just butter at this point. 

Soren poured himself a big glass of orange juice and then made himself a heaping pile of bacon. He was just about to dig in when General Amaya walked in followed by Commander Gren. 

[Sorry we're late.]

"Not at all," King Harrow smiled warmly. "Please take any seat you'd like."

Gren led the General over to the table taking a seat right next to Soren. He scooted his chair in finding his place comfortably next to the crown guard. 

Seriously? Soren thought to himself. There were plenty of other empty seats!

The hairs on the back of Soren's neck stood on end at Gren's close proximity. The guard looked straight ahead at his sister trying his best to block the commander from his peripheral vision. 

For the next few minutes, Soren silently ate his breakfast. He gulped down his O.J. and took his time savoring the yummy strips of bacon, forcing away all thoughts of the freckled man next to him. 

All of a sudden, Soren felt someone grab his right hand from beneath the table. He froze at the contact knowing exactly who it was. 

Soren dared a look at Gren. The other man ate his food expressionless as if he had no idea what he was doing to Soren. As Gren began to intertwine their fingers, Soren felt his cheeks grow hot letting out an uncomfortable cough.

"Soren, are you okay?" Claudia paused from eating a strawberry she was about to put in her mouth. "You look kind of feverish."

Soren gritted his teeth together. He knew that, although Gren couldn't show it, he was inwardly smirking at the comment.

"I-I'm fine, Claudia. Food just went down the wrong pipe. That's all."

Ezran giggled across from him. "I hate when that happens!"

Soren nervously laughed along with him. 

Without warning, Gren broke their handhold. Soren sucked in a breath at the loss of connection, his hand growing colder without its companion. He wasn't starved for touch forever though because Gren's hand suddenly found Soren's thigh squeezing lightly just above his knee. 

Jesus, he's trying to kill me, Soren thought while shoving a fist in his mouth to prevent any unexpected noises from being heard by the rest of the table. He prayed to God that nobody was suspicious of what was happening. 

His blood began to heat up as Gren's hand shamelessly traveled up Soren's thigh. Soren knew he probably looked like a mad man at this point. It was just a matter of time before someone noticed. 

When no one was looking Gren leaned his head toward Soren, his lips a breath away from the other's ear.

"This is what you get when you leave without saying goodbye," Gren quietly muttered increasing the intensity of his grip on Soren's leg. 

Gren's hand began moving toward dangerous territory when, ironically, Soren's savior was Lord Viren who cleared his throat from the other end of the table addressing General Amaya.

Gren's mischevious hand quickly left from beneath the table translating Viren's words to the woman next to him.

"I have a favor to ask you, General. It might also be of benefit to you as well."

[Go on.]

"My son, Soren is a well-trained swordsman with the potential of becoming a great soldier. However, he has yet to really put those skills to the test. I would like to request that he be placed on your ranks at the Breach. I hope he can learn a few things out in the front lines and he'll also make a wonderful addition to your battalion."

Gren's eyes darted in Soren's direction, an emotion that Soren couldn't quite place flashing quickly in his blue eyes.

[Well, we are always in need of a few extra soldiers. I think it's a great idea.]

Viren smiled. "Amazing! Commander Gren do you have any input?"

"I think it's a terrible idea," Gren responded a frown forming on his face

Viren's eyes widened in surprise. "What could you possibly mean by that?"

"I was just in the courtyard with him yesterday. I barely threw a fraction of my moves at him and he yielded after only a few minutes. I'm telling you he won't last one day out on the Breach."

Everyone at the table stopped eating, silence filling the room. Even Callum stopped his sketching to listen in on the drama. 

Soren's head dropped, his heart beating fast beneath his chest. 

Just yesterday Gren had told him he was impressed by his swordsmanship and now he's saying he isn't good enough to go into battle. Was it all a lie? Was it just a flirting technique to get Soren to come to his room last night?

General Amaya and Gren signed to each other obviously arguing about something. After a few moments, the two turned around to face the rest of the table.

[I'm the General here and I've decided that Soren will make a wonderful addition to the battalion. We need more confident young soldiers like himself on our ranks.]

"So it's decided!" Viren exclaimed happily. "Soren, grab what you need. The General and the Commander leave this afternoon."

"Yes, father," Soren mumbled, his chest feeling tighter than usual.


	3. the ride

"𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩."

Gren's words repeated over and over in Soren's head as he angrily stuffed a burlap sack with his things. This time Soren really was a major doof; he truly had believed Gren's words from before. It was encouraging to hear that an actual Commander was impressed by him. Now, he realized it was all just a flirtatious ploy.

Once he made it to the Breach, he would show Gren. He'd be the best goddamn soldier out there. Not only would he prove to Gren that he was all wrong about him, but he'd also learn the skills necessary to be worthy of his father's pride. He just hoped that Gren would do the right thing and just stay out of his way.

A light tap on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in!" He called out.

His sister, Claudia, opened up the door holding a small box in her hands.

"Got a minute?" She asked.

"Sure." Soren placed his things on his desk motioning to the bed in the center of the room.

The two siblings sat on his bed, Soren noticing the gloomy look that was on his sister's face.

"So you're going to the Breach?" She asked.

"Looks like it."

Claudia sucked in a quick breath, her eyes glossing over suddenly. "How long will you be gone?"

"Actually, I hadn't really thought about it. Probably for a while."

The young mage turned to her brother wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in his chest.

"Not too long, okay?" She muttered into his shirt, a sob escaping her throat.

Soren smoothed his hand down her long, dark hair surprised to see his usual cheery sister crying. He rocked her back and forth and kissed the top of her head.

After a few more moments of hugging, Claudia pulled away from her brother's chest, a big blob of snot coming out her nose. Soren quickly grabbed her a handkerchief. He looked away as she loudly blew her nose into it. After a few more sniffles, his sister began to compose herself sitting back down on her spot next to him.

She picked up the small box she was holding earlier and handed it to Soren. "I made this for you for your birthday, but since I don't know when I'm gonna see you again I decided I'd give it to you now as a sort of a -- going away present."

Soren cradled the box in his hands. "Thanks, Clauds."

She giggled giving him a playful punch in the shoulder. "Don't thank me yet! Open it up first!"

As per his sister's command, Soren lifted the top off, revealing a dark, purple braided band in the wrapping.

Claudia took the band and tied it securely around Soren's wrist. She leaned back to examine her knotting skills.

"It's a sibling bracelet," Claudia explained. "I made it purple so it would remind you of me."

"Wow, that's really sweet," Soren examined the delicate weaving of the band around his wrist. He was impressed by its beautiful detail. Soren swore that he would treasure it always.

"And look!" Claudia lifted up her own hand showing off a similar light blue one. "I made a blue one for myself! It'll remind me of you while you're away because it matches your eyes."

Now it was Soren's turn to get all emotional. He trapped her into a bear hug holding her as tightly as he could.

"I cat beathe!" Claudia gasped, all the air effectively squeezing out of her lungs.

Soren quickly pulled away making sure she was okay. "Haha, sorry."

"And don't think I used magic to make these super intricate bracelets," Claudia said pointing a finger at him. "I made these solely relying on my amazing skill and creativity."

Soren raised an eyebrow finding that hard to believe. Claudia used magic all the time. Even for the most mundane things like making pancakes for example.

"Okay, you got me," Claudia admitted raising her hands in the air. "But it was only to charm yours for good luck. I'm sure you're gonna need it out there on the Breach."

"I'm gonna miss you when I get there," Soren said looking at his sister sorrowfully. "Who am I suppose to joke around with?"

"I'm sure you'll make friends," Claudia reassured. "But no one's allowed to replace me, got it?"

Soren chuckled. "No one could ever replace you Clauds."

"Awwww, look at my brother being all sensitive and sweet! I think my heart is going to explode!"

"Jesus, I don't want to see that."

The two laughed with each other and joked around until the day drew closer to the time he had to leave. Each minute that ticked by, Soren realized more and more how difficult it was going to be to leave his sister and also the two princes behind. All three of them were his best friends and he had never been away from them for so long. He hoped he could get through it.

\--

The hot afternoon sun bore onto the back of Soren's neck as he tied the last of his supplies and personal items on the back of his horse. A thin film of sweat began to form on his forehead as he turned around to face his friends and family. Claudia, Callum and Ezran stood in a line in front of him, Lord Viren remaining towards the back of the group.

Before he could say anything, his sister and the two princes barreled towards him tackling Soren down in a giant group hug. Completely surrounded, Soren fell to the ground, attacked by hugs and kisses

"S-s-soren!" Callum wailed. "I-I- I'm g-gonna m-miss y-you!"

Soren squeezed tightly onto the older prince's arm. "I'll miss you too, buddy."

"Don't forget about us, okay?" Ezran closed his eyes and clung tightly onto Soren's waist.

"Never." Soren ruffled up the little boy's fuzzy hair.

The young soldier could feel his face getting wet from tears he didn't expect. Soren hugged all three of them as tightly as he could letting their embrace linger for as long as possible. He knew that this would be the last time he'd be with them for a while and he wanted this moment to last. Memories of eating jelly tarts together, horse riding lessons, and board games in the Banther Lodge came to mind causing him to tear up even more. They hit him like a knife to the heart. Who knew he would be such a whiny baby?

After a few more minutes, Soren told himself it was time to let them go. Pulling away, he stared at each of their tear-stained faces, his heart beating painfully in his chest as he gave them his final goodbyes. 

"Bye, guys. I'll write to you when I can."

"You better," Callum croaked out wiping his face with his red scarf.

"I love you, Soren," Claudia told her brother one last time.

"I love you, too," Soren replied.

His three best friends in the whole wide world backed away replaced by Viren who stood in front of his son, an aura of intensity radiating off of him. Soren did his best to compose himself in front of his father while a far more serious tone took over.

Viren reached out to adjust the armor on Soren's shoulder. He took a step back carefully examining the rest of his son's appearance. 

"You may have always dressed like a soldier, but up until this point you have done nothing more than look the part. This next part of your life could be an important defining moment. Don't waste it."

Soren stood up straight in front of his father, setting his jaw into a firm line. "I won't, father."

"I love you," Viren told him, the phrase a rarity to Soren's ears.

"I love you too."

Soren was about to give his father a hug when General Amaya, Commander Gren, and other soldiers they had brought with them from the Breach rode up beside them. 

Soren stared in awe at each and every one of them. He knew right away the difference between himself and the rest of them. They all sat on their horses with a certain grace and influence that Soren was nowhere near close to achieving. He hoped that one day he could match the same power and strength that exuded from each one of the soldiers before him. 

His eyes eventually found Gren -- whether they wandered towards the Commander intentionally or accidentally was something that Soren couldn't quite recall. What he did know, however, was that even after all the things Gren had said about him at the breakfast table, Soren still revered the other man with great respect. He hated to admit it to himself, but, in a way, he actually wanted to be just like the Commander, an equal that Gren would respect as well. Soren found with a sudden realization that it wasn't just his father he desperately wanted approval from, but from Gren as well. 

Hopping up on his horse, Soren grasped the reigns tightly in his hands giving one last look to Viren, Claudia, and the princes. 

"See you on the other side."

\--

The journey to the Breach was a silent one. The only noises to be heard came from the wind moving past the trees or the sound of small rocks crunching under the hooves of the horses.

Soren became painfully uncomfortable as he rode. Usually a very talkative person, it unnerved him that none of the other soldiers were talking amongst each other. He knew it was going to be a long ride and maybe having a conversation with one another could help pass the time. Plus, being quiet this long was making Soren extremely antsy.

Unfortunately for him, Soren didn't really know anyone. The only two people he actually knew were General Amaya and Commander Gren. And even though the redhead was directly in front of him, there was no way in hell Soren was going to acknowledge him. Soren was still mad at him for his comments during breakfast, also it seemed the commander was doing everything in his power to ignore the other man's presence. 

Well, Soren would just have to make some new friends; Claudia did encourage it. To his right was a green-eyed woman around his age with long brown hair that was braided down the back. She seemed pleasant enough so Soren decided to strike up a conversation with her.

"So, when are we planning to arrive at the Breach?" He asked coughing to clear his throat.

The young woman turned to Soren, at first unsure if he was speaking to her. "Um, probably around dawn tomorrow morning."

"Wow, that's a pretty long ride, am I right?" Soren smiled at her awkwardly. After a sad and very patronizing breath of a laugh, the woman turned her gaze back forward becoming silent once again. Soren inwardly cringed at how weird he was acting in front of a fellow soldier. He bit his lip nervously not wanting his first impression to be a bad one.

He was just about to give up on speaking again for the rest of his life when, suddenly, the woman asked him a question.

"Was that your sister? The girl who hugged you before you left?"

Soren adjusted himself in his seat, relieved that she hadn't written him off as a total weirdo just yet.

"Yes!" He responded excitedly. "Her name's Claudia."

The woman gave him a friendly smile. "Seeing you two together made me think of my family."

"Do you have any siblings?" He asked keeping the conversation moving.

She nodded looking up at the sky as if she was trying to picture their faces. "I have five brothers actually."

Soren's eyes widened. "Wow, you're really outnumbered, aren't you?"

"Actually, it was fun living in such a rowdy house when I was younger." She looked down at her reigns, her face beginning to drop slightly. "I miss it sometimes."

"When was the last time you saw your family?"

She scratched the top of her head. "I don't know. Probably, around two years ago by now."

Soren gulped. Was that really how long it was going to be before he saw Claudia and the princes again? He was going to miss out on so much. Ezran would be so big by the time he got back! Sweating, Soren suddenly realized that he wouldn't be eating jelly tarts for a while. He slapped his forehead cursing himself for not packing any. 

"My name's Elena by the way," the woman, Elena, introduced herself reaching out her hand in the space between their horses.

"Soren. Nice to meet --"

He was abruptly interrupted by a water skin being shoved in his face.

"Drink your part and then pass it down the line," Gren ordered gruffly.

He stared at the Commander. Even though they had just seen each other this morning, it seemed like forever since the last time they were face to face. Soren sucked in a breath at the other man's cold, blue eyes. Not being able to stop himself, he let his eyes wander over Gren's freckles and even lower down to his lips.

Soren took the skin from him, his fingers accidentally grazing Gren's hand. The other man continued to watch him as Soren brought the skin to his lips. A little flustered by the unwanted audience, Soren spilled some water down his chin as he took a few gulps. He passed the water skin over to Elena wiping his face with the back of his hand. When he turned back towards Gren, the Commander had already turned away.

That's when Soren saw it, just below the back of Gren's chin. A dark, red mark so hidden by armor that only someone who was looking for it would be able to notice. Soren felt his cheeks warm up at the sight of it. It was a reminder of all the events that had occurred the previous night. Feeling for his own mark under his armor, Soren lightly tapped the spot Gren had left for him. Soren felt a little bit of satisfaction that he wasn't the only one after all who was branded from their...interaction. 

A weird feeling swirled in Soren's stomach. He shifted in his seat at the odd sensation. Soren decided to distract himself from it by continuing chatting with Elena for the rest of the ride. 

She was a little shy at the beginning, but it was actually really nice getting to know her. He could tell she was an experienced soldier, someone he should stick by for some tips and tricks when they finally made it to the Breach. 

In a lot of ways, Elena reminded him of his sister. She tried to make corny puns that didn't really land and even liked to make funny faces. He imagined what it would be like to introduce Elena to Claudia sometime in the future; they would easily become best friends.

Soren gave himself an imaginary pat on the back for making a pretty good choice for his first new friend. He hoped that the rest of the battalion would be just as welcoming to him as Elena was being.

After a while, their conversation began to slow. Night had fallen and everyone in the group began feeling a bit fatigued.

Soren yawned. It was becoming extremely difficult for him to keep his eyes open at this point. Looking over to his side, he noticed that Elena's eyes were drooping as well. He tried to stretch out his arms to wake himself up, but nothing was really working. If this continued, the rest of the ride was going to be absolutely miserable. 

Soren sat up straight when the horses in the front of the group began making loud noises. Some of them let out a high pitched whinny, a sound that would tell any experienced rider that something had spooked them. 

Off to the side of the road, a long grey snake slithered past them, frightening every horse in its path. Soren sensed the nerves of his own horse and patted him softly on the neck whispering soothing words. 

Elena's horse kicked it's front legs out when the snake wriggled underneath her. Soren began to get nervous when Elena's horse wasn't calming down right away. It continued to kick and jump even after the snake had moved on.

"Down, girl," Elena repeated restlessly, the words seeming to have no effect.

Then, without warning, the horse shot forward into the trees next to them taking Elena with her. The sound of the horse running into the woods echoed amongst the group. In a split second, Elena was already lost deep in the forest. Everyone held their breath.

Without hesitation, Soren began pulling on his horse's reigns to go after them.

"Soldier, wait!" Gren ordered, but he had already taken off into the woods determined to save his new friend.

The forest was denser than Soren had realized. Branches and leaves slapped against his face as he charged forward, the faint sound of Elena's horse's wails acting as his only guide. 

"Help!" He heard Elena desperately cry out.

Kicking the side of his horse, Soren moved as fast as he could towards the cries. He knew something was very wrong. 

Soren's horse jumped out of the forest landing on smooth rock. They were standing on a wide cliff, the ground below them barely visible from their height. 

Blood from the cuts on his cheeks dripped down Soren's face as he searched for Elena and her horse.

"Elena!" He called out hoping she would hear him.

"Soren!"

His head snapped in the direction of the noise. On the left side of the cliff a small tree grew out the ledge. Elena and her horse were on that tree now, the horse clawing at the edge of the cliff with its hooves as the roots of the tree slowly broke free from the weight. 

Soren's eyes widened in horror when he realized the desperate situation they were in. Jumping off his horse, he sprinted in their direction praying he would make it in time.

When he finally made it them, the tree was on it's final stand. Soren knew it could fall off at any moment. He reached out his hand to Elena knowing he had to save her first. He could see the fear in her eyes when she clutched onto his arm.

"I won't let you fall," He told her, though he didn't quite believe the statement himself.

She nodded at him and closed her eyes as she jumped forward landing into Soren's chest. Soren could feel himself tipping over the ledge as he clung to her body. Finally gaining his balance, he set her safely on top of the cliff quickly turning his attention to the horse. 

He grabbed the reigns pulling with all his might, the sound of the last roots snapping rang in his ears. Elena ran to Soren's side grabbing the horse's reigns as well, using her strength to finally pull the horse up. 

The two landed on their backs with a thud, the tree breaking free from the cliff and tumbling to the depths below. 

Blood and sweat were smeared across both and Elena and Soren's faces as they laid on the cool stone of the cliffs. Their chests rose and fell rapidly as they took in labored breathes.

Elena grabbed Soren's hand and squeezed it lightly. "Thank you."

Soren didn't have the energy to respond so he nodded in return. He was just happy that Elena and her horse were alright now.

Sitting up, Soren could hear galloping in the distance, the rest of the group had caught up to them

General Amaya and Commander Gren were the first to arrive, the anger clear on their faces.

Soren helped Elena up awaiting a good scolding.

[Soren, you disobeyed direct orders from your Commander.] Gren looked far angrier than the General as he interpreted her words, his blue eyes almost going black.

Soren's head fell. Elena's hand continued told hold on to his in silent support. 

"If I may speak, I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for Soren," Elena protested.

The General's eyebrow rose, examining their current condition. Clearly, if it weren't for Soren, Elena's fate would be far different than it was now. 

Gren hesitated before interpreting Amaya's next words. Defiance and frustration were written on his face as he gritted out the words.

[I see now that your quick thinking has saved another's life. I'm now realizing that it was a wise decision bringing you on our ranks. However, I expect that you follow orders from now on. This was a one-time thing.]

Soren and Elena both let out a breath of relief. Catching him a little off guard, Elena leaned over to him to give him a hug. Soren paused for a moment, but then returned it, relieved that she was okay.

[We're going to find a place to stop and get our bearings together. The medic needs to tend to their wounds as well.]

A few minutes later the group reached an open clearing in the forest, the soldiers tied up their horses and began searching for wood to start a fire. It was springtime, but chilly air still blew through the trees. Plus, they needed the light so the medic could fix up Soren and Elena's cuts. 

"Honestly, you two looked worse than you actually are," The medic said after wiping their faces with a wet cloth. It was just a few knicks on their cheeks, but there had been a lot of blood. Once they were cleaned up, their injuries seemed almost insignificant. He then placed an ointment on their wounds to help them heal faster and prevent scarring.

The two then met up with the rest of the group who were gathered around the fire sitting on logs. Soren and Elena found an empty spot and sat down reaching their hands out in front of the fire to warm themselves up. 

"You saved my life today you know, " Elena murmured, the reflection of the flames dancing in her irises.

Soren smiled. "Yeah, I know. I was there remember?"

She punched him in the arm. "I'm being serious right now. What you did was huge and it's not a debt that can easily be repaid."

"Elena--"

She waved her hand at him stopping him from saying whatever he wanted to say. "I just want you to know that when we make it the Breach. I'll have your back no matter what, okay?"

"Okay."

The two then returned their focus on warming themselves up by the fire when Commander Gren walked over to them. He stood directly between them and the fire.

Soren crossed his arms. What could he possibly have to say right now?

"I need to speak with you, Soren." He said his eyes darting over to Elena. "𝘈𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry, there weren't any sorgren moments. I just needed to get a few plot points in for the storyline I'm working towards. But don't worry next chapter I promise to more than deliver so stay tuned kiddos!


	4. the talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope this feeds your sorgren souls...

Soren stared down Gren. He refused to get up just to spite him. However, the dutiful soldier in him told him that no matter what his feelings were towards the other man, he was still the Commander and Soren was obligated to listen to orders -- something he had already failed at miserably earlier on in the evening.

Begrudgingly, Soren left his warm spot on the log next to Elena. He could tell she was a little nervous for him so he gave her a reassuring smile before walking over towards Gren.

As soon as Soren was within reaching distance, Gren grabbed onto Soren's arm, his grip hard and unapologetic. Soren felt the other man's thumb dig deep into his forearm as he was dragged away from the campfire and into the dark forest.

"Gren, what are you --"

Before he could finish, Gren turned around and roughly pushed onto Soren's chest so that his back hit up against a nearby rock wall. The sharp edges of the rocks stabbed into Soren's back causing him to grimace uncomfortably. The last thing he wanted was for Gren to see him in pain so he did his best to stand up straight, glaring directly into the darkened blue eyes of the Commander.

"What were you thinking back there!" Gren yelled at him, his teeth-baring and shoulders set back on edge. "I gave you an order! I told you to wait!"

Soren clenched his fists to his sides, his blood boiling at the ridiculously demeaning tone Gren was using on him. "I saved her life, Gren! She would've died if it weren't for me!"

The Commander took a step closer to Soren releasing heavy and wild breaths. His orange hair fell into his face, Gren far too focused on his own anger to bother pushing it away.

"What do you think is going to happen on the Breach, Soren?" Gren's voice was deep and authoritative bouncing powerfully off the walls of the rock slabs. "How can I trust that you'll follow orders!"

No matter how intimidating Gren was trying to be, Soren stood his ground refusing to let the other man win. "So this is what this is all about, huh? You still don't think I'll be able to handle the Breach!"

Gren gritted his teeth and grabbed Soren's shirt from under his armor. His hand fisted in the fabric as he pulled upward bringing Soren's face mere inches from his own.

The Commander's eyes were now the same piercing blue that Soren remembered. Soren's heart bounced in his chest as he struggled to look directly at the blue orbs, realizing that he may be losing this battle for dominance.

"Look at me, soldier," Gren commanded.

Soren hated how Gren was pulling rank right now. He tried to shrink into the rock pile to make more distance between them, but the sharp rocks prevented him from doing so.

"There's no backing away from me this time," Gren growled, roughly grabbing onto Soren's chin forcing him to face him.

Soren knew that Gren was beyond angry. He could hear it in the other man's voice, see it in his stance. But as Gren's eyes began to consume him, Soren noticed an emotion swirling in them that wasn't exactly anger.

No, there was a desperate want in his eyes.

Soren realized how he could win this.

Wrapping his arm around Gren, he spun both of them around so that Gren was now the one pressed hopelessly against the rock. Soren quickly grabbed onto the other man's hands forcing them up against the rock wall. He gripped them tightly on both sides of Gren's head not allowing any movement.

The red head's eyes widened, his mouth opened in shock as Soren smirked at him.

"What? Weren't expecting that were you, Commander?" Soren licked his lips at the sight of a helpless Gren beneath him. He placed a knee in between the Commander's legs threatening to press up.

Gren tilted his head to the side and smiled almost as if he wanted this outcome all along.

"𝑆𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑛," Gren breathed out the name with hooded eyes. "𝐾𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑒."

Without hesitation Soren slammed his lips against the man before him, splaying Gren's hands out and intertwining their fingers.

Gren allowed Soren to dominate the kiss, the younger soldier plunging his tongue forward into a very willing participant.

Soren took his time exploring every part of his Commander's mouth. Gren was like putty underneath him going along with all of his movements.

By the time Soren broke the kiss for air, Gren was practically panting in front of him, his freckles standing out against a flush red face.

"Woah," Soren exhaled breathing out hot air onto Gren's face.

The younger man ventured his gaze lower to Gren's armor. He desperately wanted to feel the other man's strong chest and chiseled stomach. However, everything Soren ached to touch was, at the moment, hidden underneath impenetrable metal. Noticing his gaze, Gren leaned forward placing a hot, wet kiss on Soren's ear.

"𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓, 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑟," Gren murmured huskily.

Soren groaned at the low voice that vibrated in his ears, the deepness and clear need in Gren driving him near the edge.

Releasing his strong hold on Gren's hands, Soren quickly began stripping the Commander of his armor. Once he was finished, Gren returned the favor, taking the gear off his upper and lower half.

Now, the only thing stopping Soren's eager hands was a thin layer of dark cloth. He shoved his hands underneath Gren's shirt feeling for the Commander's defined abs and wide chest.

Gren leaned his head back against the rock, relaxing under Soren's touch. The younger man groped every inch of him, greedy hands leaving marks where they wanted.

After allowing Soren to indulge for a few minutes, Gren abruptly grabbed onto his wandering hands.

The younger man fought against his Commander's hold but slowed his defiance when he saw the mischievous look in Gren's eyes

"Let me touch you, Soren."

Soren nodded realizing his own excitement from the thought of Gren's strong calloused hands on his skin.

Letting go of his hands, Gren reached for the space in between Soren's legs. Soren blushed in embarrassment knowing exactly what the Commander would find.

"Oh, Soren, you really do like me," Gren smirked pleased with the effect he had on the other man.

At first, Gren lightly pawed the area before running his hand over Soren's length, the fabric of his pants being their only barrier.

Even though Gren had barely touched him, Soren let out a breathless moan, his head falling forward onto Gren's shoulder. He turned his his face over, muttering incoherent words into the other man's neck.

"Pl...please...I..."

Soren could feel Gren smile next to him. "I can't hear you, Soren. Use your words."

Soren let out a strangled noise as Gren began to move his hand away.

"Please...just....touch me." He finally ground out.

"All you had to do was ask."

Gren dove into Soren's pants wrapping his hand mercilessly tight around him.

Bucking his hips forward at the naked touch, Soren bit his teeth down on Gren's soldier to steady himself.

He could already feel himself spiraling under Gren's expert caresses. He breathed heavily through his nose keeping his mouth clamped onto Gren's skin preventing any shameful noises from escaping.

Gren began picking up the pace making it harder and harder for Soren to contain himself.

"Don't hold back," Gren whispered soothingly. "I like the noises you make."

Soren cried out as Gren tightened his grip, the soldier so close to unraveling.

It only took a few more quick pumps before Soren completely let go, shuddering into Gren's chest with an immodest moan.

Soren's legs felt like jello as Gren pulled away from him. Joints wobbling and heart pounding, Soren reached his hands out to the rocks in front of him. If it wasn't for the vital foundation, Soren would have surely buckled down to his knees by now.

Still panting, Soren turned his head to the side watching as Gren began putting his armor back on.

"Clean yourself up," Gren told him, the authority back in his tone. "You don't have much time before we have to leave in order to make it the Breach on time ."

And with that Commander Gren walked away, leaving Soren breathless and completely limp all by himself.

Soren covered his face with his hands as he slid down the rock slab, falling onto the floor.

Once again, he had underestimated the Commander. He thought he could beat him with a game of seduction, but Soren ended up being the one trampled and helpless on the ground.

Soren may have been the one who was satisfied tonight, but the way he folded so easily under Gren's touch proved how powerless he was against him.

Just like the duel, Soren had experienced yet another humiliating defeat. Gren had won at this game of power and dominance...he would always win.


	5. the breach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long but here it is! Enjoy (hopefully)!

Just as Elena had predicted, the group made it to the Breach just as dawn crept over the mountains.

Soren had heard about the Breach his entire life, but this was the first time he was face to face with it. The environment was dim, oppressive, and extremely menacing. A large chasm made of black molten rock separated the land, red hot lava flowing in the center. The sky was dark from ash and smoke and it filled Soren's lungs with an intense burning sensation. The feeling was something that he would have to get used to.

From the top of the human fortress, Soren could just make out the outline of the lands of Xadia. Squinting through the blackened sky, he tried to get a glimpse of the mysterious country he had heard so many stories about. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to fight the elves who lived on the other side.

The only thing connecting the humans to Xadia was a thin land strip underneath a lava waterfall. In the center of the strip was a hidden human encampment that would blow smoke out into the air every few hours signaling that the area was clear.

According to Elena, on the Xadian side, the elves had built their own fortress as well. Although the elves have never tried to break into their side of the Breach as an organized army, some elves thought of themselves as heroes and would run across the land strip. Fortunately, these were all contained events, independent from the elves as a whole. Overall, any threat so far was easily thwarted, but tensions continued to grow.

[Horses to the stables and then inside for breakfast.] General Amaya ordered getting off her own horse with Commander Gren following in suit. [I know you are all tired, but don't think you can skip out on the most important meal of the day.]

Slumping in his seat, Soren lazily led his horse over to the stables. The journey to the Breach was a long and eventful one and it completely drained him out. All he wanted to do was to find the barracks and rest on a bed.

"Thank the heavens for breakfast," Elena sighed in relief next to him, her stomach loudly grumbling. "My belly hasn't shut up for the past hour!"

Normally, a comment like that would at least spark a smirk for Soren, but he was far too tired right now to acknowledge it.

"Hey, Soren?" Elena asked as she landed gracefully on the ground from off of her horse.

"What's up?" Soren wasn't really paying attention to her because trying to jump off a horse with complete lack of sleep was proving very difficult for him at the moment.

"I was just wondering what happened last night with Gren."

"Wha--" Caught completely off guard by the question, Soren lost his balance, one of his feet snagging onto the stirrups on his saddle. He flipped forward, narrowly protecting his face with his arms as he tumbled to the ground.

"Oh my gosh!" Elena immediately ran over to him and helped him up from the dusty stable ground. Soren stood up quickly and wiped the dirt from off his armor.

"What do you mean?" Soren smiled at Elena, his eyes darting back and forth nervously as heat began to creep up on his cheeks.

Elena looked over to the side and shrugged. "Well, I've never seen the Commander so angry before. He's never been that harsh with anyone, especially newbies."

"Really? What's he usually like?" It was strange for Soren to hear new information about Gren, or any for that matter. He had only known the other man for a couple of days and even when they did interact it was always under unique circumstances. Soren was surprised to realize that he was actually curious to find out what Elena had to say about Gren. 

"Well, when he's not translating for the General," Elena tapped her finger on her chin in thought. "He's a very kind leader who's not afraid to joke around or find the optimism in any situation."

Soren snorted to himself. Kind? Optimistic? So far, Gren had been nothing but strict with Soren. Gren made it pretty clear that he didn't even believe in him and, as soon as Soren made one mistake, Gren instantly punished him. Well, it wasn't exactly punishment per se, but still.

"I find that hard to believe," Soren told her while rolling his eyes.

"It's true! I don't know why he got so angry with you. You must...𝑟𝑢𝑏 him the wrong way, that's all."

Soren chuckled at the double meaning that only he would understand. "I don't think that's it."

Elena raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Soren waved his hand at her, ceasing his laughter. "Let's just finish locking up the horses."

\--

Eggs and a stale piece of bread were placed on a plate before Soren. It wasn't the usual luxurious meals he received at the castle, but he guessed it would do. To his right, Elena was struggling to tear the hard bread with her teeth, her whole face turning red from all the effort. Shaking his head, Soren lightly pushed his bread to the edge of his plate. Maybe it'd be best to just stick with eggs. Carbs were bad for you anyways.

At the head of the table was General Amaya with Commander Gren sitting loyally at her right side. Even though Amaya dominated any room she was in, Soren was instead immediately drawn to the handsome redhead who translated her words. 

Soren willed himself to look away telling himself it was probably best if he just ignored the Commander from here on out. Today was his first day at the Breach and it was time to focus. His sole mission was to become a better fighter, soldier, and ultimately a better son. There wasn't any room for distractions, especially freckled blue eyed ones. 

"Crownguard, huh?"

Soren looked over to his left to find a burly man with a dark beard and grubby face examing his armor.

"And you brought your own sword, how cute" A tall lanky man with the same dirty face leaned over from the other side of the big one. "You've probably never had to use it, right?"

"Right," The first man answered for Soren. "The king hasn't had an assassination attempt in years. You probably sit around and look pretty all day. Must be nice."

Soren felt a little off-put by their forwardness and outright assumptions, but he also began to realize how out of place he really was. The other soldiers around him were far taller and muscular than him with banged up armor and faces that were black and oily, most likely from all the ash and smoke in the air. Soren stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the other soldiers with his shiny armor and doe looks. 

The two soldiers noticed Soren staring at them.

"Don't worry you'll look like us soon enough," The tall one told him. "No matter how many times you wash your face this black stuff never comes off."

"It's a shame because he has such a handsome face." 

Soren's eyes widened at the sound of Gren's voice. He snapped his head over in Gren's direction his face turning a ghostly white at the comment. His mouth opened and closed like a guppy, surprised that Gren would ever say something like that publically. 

Gren laughed. "What's with the face, soldier? I'm only joking!"

The others around the table began to laugh along with their Commander while Soren continued to stare at Gren dumbfounded. Sure, Gren had smiled and laughed with him before, but it usually had a smugness to it which signaled an ulterior motive. However, right now, it seemed as if Gren was genuinely joking around with Soren just as a way of welcoming him into the Breach.

Though Soren didn't mind the hospitality, the previous night's memories were still burned into his brain. Wasn't Gren still mad at him? Or shouldn't Soren be mad at Gren? In all honesty, Soren never really got to process everything. He was still far too embarrassed to even think about it. Plus, Gren didn't even want Soren at the Breach in the first place. What was with the sudden friendliness?

"Hey, Soren, you almost done?" 

Soren looked over towards Elena who had completely finished her entire meal. Far more tired than hungry, Soren had barely touched his eggs. His stomach wasn't quite awake enough to accept solid substances.

"Yeah, I'm done," Soren responded.

"I was thinking maybe I could show you around," She began. "I work in the weapons room. I could take you there first if you'd like?"

He nodded at her excitedly. The Breach was new and exciting, but it was also a foreign place that Soren was uneasy about. He was also on edge because he couldn't understand why Gren was acting so strange. One minute Gren was flirting, the next he was mad, and now he was acting like an enthusiastic camp counselor. Maybe being around something he fully understood and was familiar with like weapons would put Soren at ease. 

Elena stood up from her seat and lent a hand to Soren to help him up, a cheery smile on her face. "Follow me then."

The hallways at the Breach were like one large complicated maze with multiple winds and turns making it seem as if you were walking in circles. It also didn't help that the lighting was less than satisfactory and Soren had to squint every time he took a step. To his amazement, Elena walked around with ease, knowing exactly where each turn led to. Soren followed closely behind her, his confusion growing with each new hallway they entered. There was no way that Soren was going to ever navigate this place on his own.

"Ah, here we are!" Elena announced stopping abruptly.

They were now standing in front of two giant iron doors. Two guards were positioned in front of them, each holding long spears with dark, black blades at the end.

Elena nodded to them as if it were some kind of code and they both nodded back simultaneously, opening up the heavy doors for them.

Soren's eyes visibly sparkled when he walked inside, his mouth forming into a giant O from shock and wonder. His eyes darted all over the place as he struggled to focus on one thing at a time. 

To his left was an entire wall dedicated to just daggers. Each one was displayed beautifully, organized by shape and make of hilt. To his right was a whole shelf of ball maces. Some had strong, sturdy chains attached to heavy spiked balls for maximum damage, while others had thinner chains and smaller balls for better movement and precision.

And of course, right in the center of the room was a table completely covered by swords, each one lined up side by side. Soren almost drooled at the sight of them. They practically glowed before him enticing him to their location.

"See something you like?" Elena asked amused by Soren's trance.

He nodded his head slowly, his focus still primarily on the shiny long blades before him.

Elena walked over to the table scanning over the options. She picked one out with a thick blade and purple hilt. It was polished to perfection and extremely elegant.

"Want to hold it?" She asked him wiggling her eyebrows tauntingly.

Soren lunged for the blade, his hands already tingling at the thought of holding such a masterful weapon. However, just before he was about to reach it, a pair of pale, freckled hands beat him to his destination.

Somehow, while Soren was dazed and distracted by all the shiny weaponry, Gren had managed to slyly enter the room unnoticed, stealing the sword from Elena's grasp.

Soren was less than pleased with the interruption. He stomped his foot on the ground like a child who had just been refused a sweet.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gren asked while placing the tip of the sword on the ground and leaning himself casually on the hilt.

Elena stood up straight in front of her Commander. "I thought it would be a good idea to show the new cadet where to find appropriate weapons, sir."

Gren tilted his head to the side and smiled at Soren. "What makes you think you'll be needing this, or any weapon for that matter?"

Elena and Soren stared at him in confusion. The Commander trailed his fingers along the sharp blade as he waited for a response.

"Well," Soren cleared his throat. "My crown guard sword is less than practical for real battle. A new one will probably better suit whatever position I have here."

"But you don't know your assignment yet," Gren countered a wicked look flashing in his blue irises.

Soren rolled his eyes. "I take it you do?"

Gren hummed in affirmation. "General Amaya actually allowed me to choose your post."

Soren clenched his fists at his sides not liking where this conversation was going. 

"Congratulations, Soren!" Gren exclaimed placing the sword in the sheath on his belt, claiming it as his own. "You're our new messenger!"

"I'm a what!?"

"As you may have noticed," Gren clearly was enjoying himself as he spoke. "The Breach is quite large. There needs to be someone who is able to deliver important messages to different people throughout the fortress."

"You've got to be kidding me! You're doing this on purpose!"

Gren raised an eyebrow. "Now, Soren, do you honestly think so full of yourself that I go throughout my day thinking about your feelings? Our previous messenger got promoted so the spot opened up. That's all."

Over to the side, Elena watched in confusion at the altercation before her. Clearly, she was missing something.

"I refuse," the young soldier crossed his arms in defiance.

Gren walked over towards Soren his smugness being replaced by irritation. "This is an order from your commanding officer, soldier. If you still can't follow simple orders, then I was right to assume that you shouldn't have come here at all."

Soren desperately wanted to fight back but slowed himself when he realized it wouldn't get him anywhere. Of course, Soren wanted nothing more than to be able to prove his worth on the front lines. He wanted to push himself just as Gren had once suggested. But how was he suppose to do that if he was merely a homing pigeon? Unfortunately, Gren held all the power in this situation, and once again Soren would have to yield. 

"Fine," Soren dropped his head in defeat.

"Very good, " Gren clapped his hands together. "I also have your first assignment!"

Soren grumbled to himself. 

"I accidentally left my helmet downstairs in the dining hall, I'm such a forgetful person. However, I need to head up to the upper deck with General Amaya in a couple of minutes. Please, bring it up as fast as you can."

Soren had never looked at someone with so much disdain in his life. The Commander had reduced him to a simple errand boy. Practically fuming, Soren watched Gren ashe he said his goodbyes, whistling on his way out.

As soon as the doors closed behind him, Soren let out a loud noise that seemed to be a mix between a groan and a scream. He pulled at the ends of his hair in frustration as he gritted his teeth together.

"Why is he doing this?!" Soren yelled, the urge to throw or punch something taking over him.

Elena rubbed the back of her neck nervously while Soren had his massive temper tantrum. She watched as he paced back and forth, his face turned into an alarming purple and red color.

"Uh, are you okay?" Elena asked. "Cause you don't seem okay."

Soren snapped his head in her direction, a deep scowl on his face. "How flipping observant of you, Elena! Of course, I'm not okay!"

Elena's head dropped, her brown hair falling in her face. "Sorry..."

Soren paused his rage when he realized he had just projected his negativity onto his new friend. After taking a deep breath, he was able to calm himself down for a few moments to apologize.

"Elena, I'm sorry. I'm just really angry right now and it's not fair that I'm taking it out on you."

"I get it." She lifted her head up pulling her misplaced hair behind her ear. "But, if you really need to take your anger out on someone...take it out on them."

Soren was confused at first, but then his eyes wandered over in the direction she was pointing. On the other side of the room were a few human dummies made out of wood, most likely used for weapon training.

"Yeah, that'll do," Soren smiled to himself as he picked up a spear from the wall next to him and stalked over to the dummies.

Letting out all his anger and frustration in one large warrior cry, Soren hurled the long spear at one of the dummies, the blade sinking into the center of its chest in a splintering blow.

Elena whistled. "Nice aim."

Soren turned his head towards her, a cocky grin on his face. "Thanks, but I already knew that."

She rolled her eyes. "Glad to see you're feeling better."

"Maybe a little."

Elena smiled, her green eyes startling Soren as she stared at him. Even though it was dark in the room, her eyes still shone as bright as they had been when he had first met her. They were pretty eyes, but he felt a little uncomfortable at the way she was looking at him. He turned his head to the side avoiding her gaze.

"Well," Soren coughed. "I guess I'm off to pick up the Commander's helmet."

"Good luck!" Elena called as he left through the doors.

From the moment he stepped into the hallway, Soren knew he was lost. He was going to walk back and ask Elena for directions, but he couldn't even find the doors to the weapons room. Furrowing his brows together, Soren tried to remember the route that he and Elena had taken. However, all the hallways looked the same and the turns were just as confusing as before.

𝑊𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑢𝑝 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑝 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑌𝑂𝑈 𝐴𝑅𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑡? Soren thought to himself.

Confused and disoriented, Soren began to get worried that he would be trapped in this labyrinth forever. Not only would he not be able to finish his first simple task as messenger, but he'd probably die of starvation by the time someone found him in the next month.

He was just about to sit down and give up when he ran into someone in front of him. It was so dim in the fortress that he didn't even see the other person as he bumped into their back.

"Sorry, I didn't see --"

Soren paused when he became face to face with a very large and very intimidating man. He had dark hair, broad shoulders, and deep, black eyes.

"Who are you?" The man asked him with a frown.

"I'm new," Soren told him taking in a big gulp. "My name's Soren."

There was a long, frightening pause as the other man glared at him. Soren bit his lip nervously hoping he didn't get himself into trouble.

"Ah, right, the newbie!" The man exclaimed, a large toothy smile replacing his scowl. "Welcome to the Breach!"

A little taken aback, Soren stared at the man in wonder. Just a moment he had been this serious, intimidating guy and the now he was this smiley, gentle giant. In return, Soren smiled back at him. It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover.

"Thanks," Soren said.

"What's your post? Maybe we'll be working together. I love mentoring new cadets!"

"I'm...a messenger."

The other man visibly winced. "Really? That sucks."

"Yeah." Soren sighed. "Maybe I'll get promoted soon though."

"That's unlikely. The last guy was a messenger for a whole year before he was even promoted to any formal guard duties."

Soren's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe Gren was doing this to him! Whatever. He just needed to get through today. Maybe he could go to General Amaya directly to discuss his role at the Breach. She would probably give him a better position since she was so impressed by his impromptu rescue mission with Elena the night before.

"Well, now that I've quite literally run into someone...could I ask you for some directions?

"Of course!"

"I'm glad I met you." Soren reached out his hand. "What was your name?"

The other man grabbed his hand for a firm shake. "Corvus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated! 
> 
> Also, I'm trying to get a strict upload schedule to really force myself to write. Expect a new chapter every Friday from here on out or maybe even an extra one before if I get speedy and motived!


	6. the messenger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UwU I hope you y'all like it! There's some real cute Soren x Gren moments in this one. FLUFF.

With Gren's helmet wedged securely in between his left armpit, Soren made his way to the upper deck, following closely behind his new friend Corvus. The treck was all upstairs and it was actually quite tiring for him. Soren, of course, didn't really mind the extra excursion mainly because it was a good glute and leg workout. He could already feel that good kind of burn he always liked.

"Phew." Soren wiped away a small droplet of sweat that had formed on his forehead. Next, to him, Corvus showed no sign of fatigue easily walking up the sharp incline of stairs.

"Okay, I have to know if your hair is naturally that blonde," Corvus asked.

Soren smiled, amused by the question. Corvus had been talking nonstop since he led Soren to the dining hall to retrieve Gren's helmet. Soren, however, didn't mind the conversation because he himself was a very talkative person too. Also, he loved answering questions about himself so he obliged to every inquiry that Corvus had.

"It is natural," Soren responded, proudly running his hand through his dirty, blonde hair. "Any more questions?"

Corvus nodded his head. "What about that space in between your eyebrow, is that natural?"

Soren's smile faltered a little bit. "No..."

"What happened? Battle scar?"

"I guess it's kind of a battle scar."

Corvus raised his eyebrow intrigued. "Do tell."

Soren's eyes wandered over to the stone walls of the Breach, unsure if he should disclose the true story of how he got his scar. It was quite embarrassing.

"Well, if you must know," Soren sighed. "When I was twelve I was sitting under the tree in the castle courtyard eating jelly tarts. I had a whole big pile of them because my dad yelled at me for something I did wrong. Sweets always made me feel better so I stole a batch from the baker."

"I'm confused? Did you cut your eyebrow with a jelly tart or something?"

Soren gasped. "Jelly tarts would never do anything to hurt me!"

Corvus chuckled. "That's not entirely true. They definitely can add a few deadly inches to your waist."

The younger man stared at the muscular looking soldier before him. "I seriously doubt you've had any issues with weight."

Corvus rolled his eyes. "Just get on with your story."

"Anyways," Soren cleared his throat. "I was just about to eat my last one when it was snatched from my hand. I turned my head to find a squirrel gobbling it up."

"No!" Corvus covered his face with his hands in distress. He may look like a big, scary soldier, but the more Soren talked with him Soren realized he was actually a big ole softy who cared a lot for the people around him. 

"I tried to get it back from the squirrel, but he ran up the tree! I climbed up after him and cornered him at the end of a branch. I grabbed my tart from him but before I could climb down the tree it attacked my face! It clawed me right in the eye!"

"Wait, wait, wait...squirrels have claws?"

"Apparently! And because the squirrel was running all over my face, I couldn't see anything and fell right off the branch! So not only did the squirrel scratch a whole chunk of my eyebrow off, but I also broke my arm from the fall. Father wasn't very happy..."

"So what you're saying is," Corvus let out a laugh. "A squirrel did that to you?"

"I'm not proud of it."

"Well, at least it makes you look cooler."

Soren puffed out his chest at the compliment. "Thanks."

Soren was glad that he was having a really easy time making friends here. First, he bonded with Elena and now Corvus. At this rate, he would have a whole boatload of friends to keep him company during his long stay at the Breach.

After a few more tiring minutes, the two soldiers finally made it to the top. As soon as they walked out onto the upper deck, Soren felt an intense heat wash over his face. The air was thick with grey smoke and, once again, it bombarded his senses and clogged up his lungs. He was full on wheezing by the time he and Corvus walked over to where Commander Gren was stationed. 

As Soren got closer to the Commander, he noticed how the black sky had darkened Gren's ginger hair to a firey auburn. His pale, freckled skin was painted in a shadowed, orange hue from the lava that surrounded them. If it weren't for the light blue eyes that reflected back at Soren when the other man looked at him, Gren would have seemed almost menacing. 

"I was wondering where you were," Gren said as he took his helmet from Soren and placed it on his head.

Soren coughed out some ash that was stuck in his throat. "Sorry, I got a little lost."

Gren looked over at the other man that stood next to Soren. "And I see you somehow dragged Corvus into this."

"It was no trouble at all, sir!" Corvus butted in. "I'm happy to help."

"Don't you have other duties to attend to?" Gren asked crossing his arms.

Corvus seemed surprised with the curt way the Commander was speaking with him. Based on what Elena had told Soren, Gren was usually very kind to his subordinates. He wondered why Gren was acting so harshly to someone who was just trying to lend a hand.

"Well, yes, but they could wait," Corvus responded. 

Gren raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe we shouldn't keep them waiting any longer."

Corvus got the message and instantly turned to leave. "Yes, sir. Very good, sir."

Once Corvus was out of sight, Soren crossed his arms to match Gren's stance. "You don't have to be so mean to him."

"Mean?" Gren chuckled at the comment. "What are you, ten?"

"No!" Soren retorted his voice cracking slightly. "It's just that he was very helpful today. I like him a lot."

Gren titled his head, his gaze traveling up and down Soren. "I've noticed that you've been making a lot of friends lately."

The younger man frowned. "Is that a problem."

"Not at all." Gren turned around to face the wide chasm of lava. He leaned his elbows along the short stone wall to overlook the terrifying view. 

There was a long pause before Soren spoke. "I was wondering if I could speak with General Amaya."

Gren kept his back turned. "Why would you need to speak with her."

Obviously, the real reason he needed to talk with Amaya was to fix the current situation he was in, but there was no way he was telling Gren that. Soren didn't want to be just a measly messenger during his time at the Breach. He was meant to be on the front lines. 

"I would like to ask her a question."

Gren turned around and leaned his back against the wall. He took his helmet off his head and shook his hair out with his hands. Soren couldn't help but become mesmerized by the way his fingers intertwined with his darkened hair, flashes of orange only peaking out momentarily in the flickering light of the embers.

"Any question you have for her, you can ask me," Gren stated.

Soren already could feel the irritation stirring inside him. He just about had enough of Gren's strange attitude towards him.

"It's a question for her specifically." Soren clarified, glaring at his Commander. 

"I see," Gren nodded his head slowly. "Well, unfortunately, she just left. She's somewhere in the fortress tending to something."

Soren let out an exasperated breath. "So you have no idea where she is?"

"Nope. Sorry."

"Fucking perfect," Soren said under his breath turning his head to the side. 

All of a sudden, Gren grabbed onto Soren's right arm. The young soldier flinched at the sudden contact staring at the hand wrapped around his forearm. Gren's firm hold reminded him of the previous night where Gren had pulled him into the forest to "talk". Heat rushed to the young soldier's face at the thought. 

"I do not tolerate foul language, soldier." Gren boomed at him.

Soren adverted his gaze from the other man. "Whatever."

"I'm serious." Gren tightened his grip.

Very impure thoughts began swirling in Soren's head at their close proximity. He was supposed to be angry with Gren for forcing him to become a messenger. However, just a simple touch from the other man caused his train of thought to blur. 

Soren shrugged away Gren's hold on him to escape the trance. "Fine. I'll wash my mouth out with soap. Will that make you feel better?"

The seriousness in Gren's blue eyes softened, smugness replacing it. "As much as I would love to see you try, you have other things to do with your time."

𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑔𝑜, Soren thought to himself rolling his eyes. 

\--

The entire day Soren found himself running around the fortress doing pointless errands for the Commander. He had grabbed Gren snacks, shined his boots, organized his daily logs, and fed his horse -- among other things.

Soren could barely survive a day of this let alone the possibility of two years! Hopefully, he'd run into General Amaya at some point to ask her to move him to a more exciting position. For now, he was stuck as Gren's errand boy with no power to refuse. 

The day was drawing to a close and Soren was completely exhausted. Lack of sleep and tending to Gren's every need made him seriously fatigued. Black soot began to stick onto his face and no amount of rubbing from the back of his hand would remove the ugly stains. 

He had just filled up Gren's water skin and was bringing it back to the upper deck. Walking up the stairs for the hundredth time, Soren desperately hoped this was the final errand of the day. 

When he finally made it up all the blasted steps, he found Gren and Amaya on the upper deck in what looked like a very serious conversation. Soren didn't know what they were talking about since, of course, they were signing to one another. 

Gren's head turned towards Soren, his eyes widening at the sight of the young soldier. "Soren you need to go downstairs right now."

Soren lifted up the water skin in his hand. "But I brought you your water."

"I don't care about the stupid waterskin! You need to leave. That's an order."

Gren's words were harsh and authoritative, but Soren couldn't help but hear the twinge of worry in them. Looking around, Soren noticed that a group of soldiers had gathered to the upper deck lining up side by side along the wall. There was a fear in the air that traveled coldly up Soren's spine.

"Would you quick standing there!" Gren yelled walking towards Soren. "You need --"

Soren became distracted by a small glowing light in the distance. It pierced through the sky at a rapid pace, approaching the location where the General and Commander stood. As it got closer, it became clear that the object was, in fact, an arrow, and not just any arrow -- but one covered with flames. Before Soren completely registered what it was, the pointed weapon slammed right into Gren's back causing him to fall forward.

"Gren!" Soren shouted in panic as Amaya and him sprinted to his aid, other arrows now falling from the sky in a heated blaze.

Amaya expertly pulled out the projectile which was wedged in between Gren's armor while Soren examined the area for wounds. Before he could assess the damage, Gren quickly stood up rubbing the back of his shoulder. 

"It didn't get me," Gren assured while signing it to Amaya.

Soren jumped to the side dodging a flaming arrow that flew towards him. The Commander ran over to him placing a shield in front of them.

"You need to go," Gren told him, urgency in his tone

"I can help!" Soren wanted to prove to Gren that he would be useful on the front lines. Maybe now was his chance to do just that.

Gren shook his head. "You have no helmet, shield, or weapon. You're a liability right now, not an asset."

As much as Soren wanted to argue with him, he realized that Gren was right. He would've been completely unprotected right now if it weren't for the shield Gren had.

He heard screams of pain around him as the entire sky above him looked like it was lit on fire. He closed his eyes feeling powerless to help.

While waiting for an opening for him to sprint away, Soren felt a hand rest on his shoulder. His lips parted in dismay as Gren's piercing blue eyes stared at him intently.

"I'll find you after all of this is over, " Gren told him, concern flashing in his eyes. "Wait for me."

Soren felt his chest tighten at the tenderness in Gren's voice. It was the voice of the man he was with during that whirlwind of a night back at the castle. Soren had not realized how much he missed that voice, how much he missed Gren. At that moment, Soren forgot why he was mad at Gren in the first place. 

Soren nodded in response feeling the urge to hug the other man. The firing of arrows stopped momentarily allowing Soren the chance to escape. He stole one last glance at the Commander before he ran down the stairs.

\--

It must've been hours before Soren heard any news about the attack. Elena and Corvus were nowhere to be found, leaving Soren alone with his worrisome thoughts. He was downstairs in the barracks pacing back and forth unable to ease his nerves.

What would his father think of him hiding away from a fight? Soren punched a wall next to him at the thought.

As he stared at his already bruising hand, he was reminded of his uselessness. His father told him that the Breach was an opportunity for him to grow, but instead, Soren felt small and helpless as someone he cared for deeply was risking their life just a few feet above him. 

Gren wouldn't be able to stop him next time. This was a feeling that Soren never wanted to experience again. 

The first person to enter the barracks was Elena. She ran over to him and hugged him.

"What's going on?" Soren asked her frantically. "Is everyone alright?"

"There weren't any casualties, thank heavens," Elena responded. Her face was almost completely black from soot and the hair around her face was flailing in all directions in a massive hallow. "Some were badly wounded though..."

"Oh," Soren kept her close to his chest needing the support as much as she did.

"It was just an intimidation tactic," Elena explained. "We were able to stop the archers after we had a group on the ground drive them off."

"Are you saying there won't be a counterattack by us?"

Elena nodded her head in response.

"What do you mean! We can't just let the elves do this whenever they want! We have to meet them with force!"

Elena looked up at him with sad, shiny eyes. "We don't want to start a war. There isn't enough manpower, not enough weapons. There would be extreme casualties on both sides if we retaliated. Plus, they may have been provoked..."

"Provoked? What do you mean."

Elena pulled away from him as more men and women began filing into the room. "I have my theories, but we should all just go to bed for now. We all need to get some rest."

Soren didn't argue with her. He could practically feel the bags under his eyes weighing him down. However, he was waiting on one more person to see before he would be able to fall asleep. 

Walking out of one of the doors to the barracks, Soren walked up and down the dark hallways of the fortress searching for a glimpse of orange hair. Desperation took hold of him as the labyrinth of the Breach consumed him. His whole body began to shake in panic and his hand found a wall in support. He leaned his back up against the stone, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

He knew there were no casualties, but that didn't mean Gren wasn't seriously injured. Soren's heart dropped to his stomach when he realized that he might have to check the infirmary if he wanted to see Gren.

"Soren," A tired voice breathed out.

Soren felt all the air being sucked out of his lungs as he found Gren walking toward him, a limp in his step. The younger man wasted no time running over to his Commander, not hesitating for a second when wrapping his arms around the other man.

There was a shocked pause from Gren, but he returned the embrace weakly holding Soren to him.

"I'm so happy you're alright," Soren told him letting out a shaking breathe refusing to let go.

Gren hugged him tighter in response.

"Can I clean you up?" Soren asked examing the banged-up appearance of the Commander. Gren's armor was slashed and scorched from the arrows and his face was covered in oil and dirt. If Soren wasn't allowed to take part in the battle, he could at least do this one small thing for Gren.

"I would love that." 

The other man then led Soren over to his private quarters. Soren let Gren lean on him as they walked down the long hallway in silence. Once they reached Gren's door, the two walked into the room, Gren sitting on his bed with a loud sigh.

The room was faintly illuminated by a single candle connected to the wall. Shadows flickered across Gren's expression as he looked at Soren. 

"Would you mind helping me out of my armor?" Gren asked shifting uncomfortably in his spot.

"Of course." Soren lept right into action tenderly taking off the metal pieces from Gren's body. His eyes instantly locked onto a spot on the back of Gren's shoulder where something had pierced right through the undergarment. It exposed an angry red burn on Gren's back. 

"I thought you said it didn't get you," Soren chastised. "You should go to the infirmary."

Gren waved him off taking the rest of his armor off himself. "It's fine. I've gotten burns loads of times. Plus, the infirmary is very busy. I don't want to add onto their already large list of patients right now."

Soren frowned. "If you say so. I just want you to be okay."

Gren reached for Soren's hand and interlocked their fingers together. Soren's eyes widened at such an intimate action. The relationship, or if you could call it that, between him and Gren was a complicated one. Any physical touch with Gren set Soren at ease; however, he knew how easily they've butt heads together about almost anything. There were a lot of things about Gren that Soren didn't like, but Gren's soft blue eyes and the tender way his calloused hands held onto his, wiped all those memories away. 

"Look at that handsome face of yours," Gren reached out to touch Soren's cheek with his free hand. "I hate to see it covered up by all that dirt."

Soren smiled leaning into his warm palm. "So you weren't joking back at breakfast."

"Of course I wasn't," the Commander reassured him, grabbing a white cloth on the dresser by his bed.

"Still have my waterskin?" Gren asked.

Soren nodded grabbing it from his belt and handing it over to Gren. Untwisting the cap, Gren poured some of the water onto the cloth. He then began softly wiping away the blackness that covered Soren's face.

"Hey," Soren protested grabbing onto Gren's hand. "I was the one who was supposed to clean you up."

The other man chuckled. "Don't worry you'll get your turn."

Gren took his time cleaning away any smudges that marred Soren's face. The two were completely silent while Gren worked, but it was a comforting silence that didn't make Soren feel awkward or jittery. 

Once Gren was finished, he handed the cloth off to Soren who used the clean side to begin swiping away the soot from the other's face.

"There, now I can see your freckles," Soren beamed as each new wipe revealed a whole new constellation of dots that were previously hiding away. 

"I'm glad you like them so much."

Soren was reminded of the first time they talked with each other one on one. The younger man had been nervous at their close proximity back then and blurted out how found he was of the cute little spots. 

Soren felt the intense urge to kiss the handsome redhead before him but stopped himself when he realized there was a far more important thing he needed to do. Standing up, Soren placed the cloth back onto Gren's dresser. He turned to his Commander, determination in his stance.

"I won't let you stop me next time." 

Gren raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm fighting the next time there's a battle. I won't let you push me to the sidelines."

The older man stood up to face Soren, brows furrowing together. "You're a messenger, Soren. You're not meant to fight."

"Why? Why did you make me a messenger? I'd be so useful on the front lines! You'll see! I can't sit by and watch others risk their lives while I hide in the barracks."

Gren's lips pressed together in a thin line as he glared at Soren. "You'll never be on the front lines, Soren, and that's final."

"I'll go to General Amaya directly then."

"Don't you 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑒."

"Tomorrow morning I'll ask her to change my position. I know she'll do it."

Gren's hands balled into fists as anger began to take hold of him. "Promise me you won't do that."

Soren stood his ground. "I'm going to do it. You can't stop me."

He waited for Gren to yell at him, push him up against the wall, anything, but instead, the Commander sat on his bed staring at Soren with an empty expression.

"Then we have nothing more to talk about." He simply stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Once you walk out that door, there's no going back. I'll be your Commander and you'll just be another soldier. There will be no other interaction between us aside from that."

Soren gulped his chest contracting painfully around his heart. "Fine."

"Fine."

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all comments are appreciated!!!!


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